Letter to the editor: Fix what we have and stop spending my money

The communities of Pella and Oskaloosa have been quarreling about building a new airport to accommodate the planes that are used by big industry. Their hope is attracting jobs and keeping what jobs they have.

The solution appears to be to use federal funds (from a government that is $17 trillion in debt) to build a new airport and remove some families from the farms they have called home for a very long time. The communities will still have to provide some cash for the project, too.

The two airports in Pella and Oskaloosa are currently too small, so big businesses have to use the airports in Newton or Ottumwa, which are about 20 to 30 miles away. Newton has an airport, we're on the interstate, have mega railroad access, a bigger population, are closer to a larger workforce in Des Moines and we get profiled on "60 Minutes" because our economy stinks and nobody wants to come here.

Oskaloosa's aiport has room for an extended runway and needs a facelift. The Pella airport would have room to extend, but there is a housing development at one end and I'm sure some of those residents may well be a few doctors, lawyers, bankers, etc., who will make a bigger stink if they are displaced than the farmers who would lose their homes and their way to make a living.

The obvious solution is to fix what you have, and stop spending my tax money to displace farmers. Will someone please tell me I'm wrong?

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Letter to the editor: Fix what we have and stop spending my money

The communities of Pella and Oskaloosa have been quarreling about building a new airport to accommodate the planes that are used by big industry. Their hope is attracting jobs and keeping what jobs